Fifteen children under the age of fifteen have so far died from Strep A related illnesses in England since September, including a 12-year-old boy from Lewisham in South East London.
Richard Russel, the headmaster of Colfe school in Lewisham, described the passing of his year 8 pupil as a “devastating” and “unexpected tragedy”.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show that the south east areas of Bromley and Bexley are hotspots for Strep A “scarlet fever”, with Bromley having 13 infections, which is the highest in London.
UKHSA figures also show that scarlet fever and invasive group A strep cases show “an out of season” increase in infections. 851 cases were reported in week 46 in England, compared to an average of 186 for the preceding years.
In 2022 there have been 21,717 recorded cases of scarlet fever in England and Wales, with last 20 weeks leading up to November recording 9772 cases. There are 103 cases in London currently, with 9 cases so far in the Lewisham area according to data from the UKHSA.
Strep A is a type of bacteria in the throat and skin that normally leads only to a mild illness that causes a sore throat alongside some swelling.
However, it can cause other illnesses such as skin infections, scarlet fever, strep throat, tonsillitis, and in more serious cases pneumonia.
Because the symptoms are similar to the flu and tonsillitis, many parents have turned to their doctors or A&E services in case those symptoms are in fact Strep A. This could lead to extra pressure on the NHS when it is already being stretched by other winter infections.
Parents are being warned to look out for symptoms including throat pain, redness, swollen tonsils, white patches on the throat, enlarged lymph nodes, difficulty swallowing, fever, headaches, body aches, and rashes.
Strep A is highly infectious and can be passed on via skin-to-skin contact and coughing. Children with symptoms should wash their hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds to avoid any possible contamination.
Here are details of Strep A cases in England.
Antibiotics work effectively on most cases of Strep A, but due to the increase in cases, pharmacies in the UK have reported a shortage of the drugs. However, Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, told Times Radio that the government was “unaware of any shortages”.
Edited by Nadrine Narku
